by Gail Caban
“There are plenty of ‘what-ifs’ Ness, but the blast was exceptionally powerful. I mean, it demolished the entire cabin to splinters. The investigators said he was blown to pieces.”
“But did they find any of those pieces, Wyatt?” Ness asked.
“Ness, what’s going on?” Wyatt frowned in a concerned manner.
“I don’t know, it’s probably just the paranoia or the PTSD, but I've seen a figure watching me from a distance for a few weeks now.” Ness said as they continued to walk to Wyatt’s truck. Lindsay wasn’t up to walk to the graves, so she opted to stay in the car while Ness and Wyatt went to their family members.
“How are you doing, babe?” Wyatt asked, climbing into the truck.
Lindsay turned and smiled at him, “I’m fine.” Lindsay’s sutures had been taken out, and although her face was scarred, she was still the most beautiful woman in the world to Wyatt. He didn’t care about the scars: he just cared that she was alive.
“What do you guys feel like for lunch?” Wyatt piped up.
“I don’t know. I haven’t had much of an appetite of late.” Ness said.
“Me neither,” Lindsay added.
“We’ll just find something at home then,” Wyatt started the truck and drove home. Ness watched the trees go by as they drove. This truly was a beautiful village, but it had been tainted by an evil mark that people wouldn’t quickly forget. Ness felt ashamed because she knew deep inside of her that she was responsible for bringing it here. En Passant had taken everything from her, and he started to show her what it was like dwelling in the darkness. The worst part of it all wasn’t the fact that Ness was exposed to the darkness, it was the fact that she liked it. It had become a part of her now, and it wasn’t going anywhere.
Wyatt pulled the truck into the driveway and parked it in the garage. He walked around to the passenger side and helped Lindsay out of her seat. She winced as she climbed out. Although the lacerations weren’t deep, the muscles still had to adjust to being cut and then repairing themselves.
They all walked to the front door, and Wyatt unlocked it. “Hey, Ness. This small package is addressed to you,” Wyatt said, bending down and picking up the small box and envelope. He handed it to Ness.
Ness flipped the envelope and the box over. “There’s no return address, so whoever delivered this did so themselves,” Ness said, slightly concerned about the contents.
“I’m sure it’s nothing, Ness. Would you like me to open it for you?” Wyatt offered.
Ness shook her head and opened the letter:
Dear Grasshopper,
Well done on being a far greater adversary than I ever dreamed you could be. It certainly was fun. If I’m honest, there were times in the beginning when I doubted your capabilities, but just like some of my students before, you developed your inner darkness very quickly—you should be proud of that. It’s a darkness that no one can take from you, but it does need to be controlled now that you’ve had a taste of it.
I am sorry that I took so many people from you, but some games need to be played: you proved exactly that when you ended the life of Travis Jones. You’re built for this, grasshopper. I’m proud to say that I was the catalyst that allowed you to find your true inner self. You see, no matter what, I will always be a part of you. You have become a copy of En Passant in a way, but you truly became something far greater. This is merely the beginning of the road for you, Ness. Have fun, live well, and ALWAYS remember the guidance I gave you along with rules—they might just save your life. Don’t worry about me coming after you or the rest of your loved ones. The game that we played is over for now. A quid pro quo if you will.
Until we meet again, dear Ness.
- E
Ness gulped as she closed the letter and looked into the tree line across the road. She could feel the eyes of a predator watching her, and she hoped that it was merely her paranoia. Ness opened the box and looked inside. The box was filled with foam-like filling, so she stuck her hand in until she felt something hard. She gripped it and pulled out a black queen from the box.
Ness smiled. “Game on, old man,” she whispered.
